Characterization of Laser induced cadmium plasma in air

Abstract

In this paper, the fundamental harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (Q-switched 1064nm wavelength, 1 Hz repetition rate and 9 ns pulse duration) has been used for the ablation of cadmium samples in air at atmospheric pressure and the generation of the cadmium plasma. The experimentally observed lines of cadmium plasma emission have been used to calculate the plasma parameters such as (electron temperature (TReR), electron density (nReR), Debye length (λRDR) and plasma frequency (ωRpR)). Line pair ratio of neutral species have been used for the electron temperature and electron density measurements. Plasma parameters were studied as a functions of laser pulse energy.